5th Alberta Legislature
The 5th Alberta Legislative Assembly was in session from February 2, 1922, to May 25, 1926, with the membership of the assembly determined by the results of the 1921 Alberta general election held on July 18, 1921. The Legislature officially resumed on February 2, 1922, and continued until the sixth session was prorogued on May 22, 1926 and dissolved on May 25, 1926, prior to the 1926 Alberta general election.[1]
| 5th Alberta Legislature | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Majority parliament | |||
| 2 February 1922 – 25 May 1926 | |||
 | |||
| Parliament leaders | |||
| Premier | Herbert Greenfield August 13, 1921 – November 23, 1925 | ||
| John Edward Brownlee November 23, 1925 – July 10, 1934 | |||
| Cabinets | Greenfield cabinet Brownlee cabinet | ||
| Leader of the Opposition | John Robert Boyle February 2, 1922 – April 12, 1924 | ||
| Charles Richmond Mitchell February 19, 1925 – March 12, 1926 | |||
| John C. Bowen March 15, 1926 – June 28, 1926 | |||
| Party caucuses | |||
| Government | United Farmers of Alberta | ||
| Opposition | Liberal Party | ||
| Crossbench | Dominion Labor Party | ||
| Conservative Party | |||
| Legislative Assembly | |||
| Speaker of the Assembly | Oran McPherson February 2, 1922 – May 25, 1926 | ||
| Members | 61 MLA seats | ||
| Sovereign | |||
| Monarch | George V May 6, 1910 – January 20, 1936 | ||
| Lieutenant Governor | Hon. Robert George Brett October 20, 1915 – October 29, 1925 | ||
| Hon. William Egbert October 29, 1925 – May 5, 1931 | |||
| Sessions | |||
| 1st session February 2, 1922 – March 28, 1922 | |||
| 2nd session July 25, 1922 – July 31, 1922 | |||
| 3rd session January 23, 1923 – April 21, 1923 | |||
| 4th session January 28, 1924 – April 12, 1924 | |||
| 5th session February 19, 1925 – August 6, 1925 | |||
| 6th session February 11, 1926 – May 22, 1926 | |||
| |||
Alberta's fifth government was controlled by the majority United Farmers of Alberta led by Premier Herbert Greenfield, who would resign following a push from the party on November 23, 1925, and was replaced by John Edward Brownlee. The Official Opposition was the Alberta Liberal Party led by John Robert Boyle, and later Charles Richmond Mitchell, and eventually future Lieutenant Governor of Alberta John C. Bowen. The Speaker was Oran McPherson.
Speaker
Premier Herbert Greenfield nominated the government's preferred candidate for speaker, Oran McPherson, only to have one of his UFA backbenchers, Alex Moore, nominate Independent Conservative John Smith Stewart; Stewart spared the government embarrassment by declining the nomination.[2]
Bills
Wheat Board
The Legislature would pass An Act to Confer Certain Powers upon the Canadian Wheat Board (Bill 1) during the short second session in August 1922. The bill conferred powers to the create the Alberta Wheat Pool.[3]
Debt Adjustment Act
The Debt Adjustment Act (Bill 49) of 1923 was designed to adjust farmers' debts to a level that they could actually pay, thus allowing them to carry on while still ensuring that creditors received as much as was feasible.[4] In the words of University of Calgary professor David C. Jones, the bill offered "solace, but no real satisfaction".[5] According to Jones, Greenfield's attempts to rescue southern Alberta from agricultural calamity were probably doomed to failure.[6] Even so, Greenfield had called the situation his top priority, and his failure to bring it to a successful resolution cost him politically.[7]
Government Liquor Control Act of Alberta
The Government Liquor Control Act of Alberta (Bill 14) passed in the fourth session in 1924. The bill repealed prohibition which had been instituted following a 1916 referendum. The Government held a referendum on the matter in autumn 1923 which saw Albertans vote decisively for the repeal of prohibition. Bill 14 would be subject to a free vote in the legislature, and while the legislation passed, the new measures were divisive, pitting community leaders who wanted their towns to remain "dry" against those who wanted to apply for liquor licences, and different would-be saloon-keepers against one another in competing for the government-issued licences.[8]
Membership in the 5th Alberta Legislature
Standings changes since the 5th general election
Changes to party standings during the 5th Alberta Legislature
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| Membership changes in the 5th Assembly | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Member Name | District | Party | Reason | |
| July 11, 1921 | Charles Stewart | Sedgewick | Liberal | Acclaimed in the 1921 general election | |
| July 11, 1921 | Andrew Shandro | Whitford | Liberal | Acclaimed in the 1921 general election | |
| July 18, 1921 | See List of Members | Election day of the fifth Alberta general election | |||
| July 20, 1921 | Percival Baker | Ponoka | United Farmers | Died before taking office | |
| August 1, 1921 | Donald Kennedy | Peace River | United Farmers | Resigned to run in the 1921 federal election. | |
| November 16, 1921 | Alex Ross | Calgary | Dominion Labor | Resigned to run in a ministerial by-election | |
| November 16, 1921 | Vernor Smith | Camrose | United Farmers | Resigned to run in a ministerial by-election | |
| November 16, 1921 | Perren Baker | Medicine Hat | United Farmers | Resigned to run in a ministerial by-election | |
| November 16, 1921 | George Hoadley | Okotoks | United Farmers | Resigned to run in a ministerial by-election | |
| December 2, 1921 | Alex Ross | Calgary | Dominion Labor | Acclaimed for December 9, 1921, by-election | |
| December 2, 1921 | Vernor Smith | Camrose | United Farmers | Acclaimed for December 9, 1921, by-election | |
| December 2, 1921 | Perren Baker | Medicine Hat | United Farmers | Acclaimed for December 9, 1921, by-election | |
| December 2, 1921 | George Hoadley | Okotoks | United Farmers | Acclaimed for December 9, 1921, by-election | |
| December 2, 1921 | Herbert Greenfield | Peace River | United Farmers | Acclaimed for December 9, 1921, by-election | |
| December 2, 1921 | John Brownlee | Ponoka | United Farmers | Acclaimed for December 9, 1921, by-election | |
| December 4, 1921 | Andrew Shandro | Whitford | Liberal | Removed from office by court order 1921 election voided | |
| December 29, 1921 | Charles Stewart | Sedgewick | Liberal | Appointed to the federal cabinet. | |
| March 28, 1922 | Charles Wright | Ribstone | United Farmers | Died from pneumonia | |
| July 3, 1922 | Albert Andrews | Sedgewick | United Farmers | Acclaimed for July 10, 1922, by-election | |
| July 10, 1922 | William Farquharson | Ribstone | United Farmers | Elected in a by-election | |
| July 10, 1922 | Mike Chornohus | Whitford | United Farmers | Elected in a by-election | |
| November 14, 1922 | Robert Edwards | Calgary | Independent | Died | |
| January 15, 1923 | William Davidson | Calgary | Independent | Elected in a by-election | |
| August 10, 1923 | Joseph State | Clearwater | Liberal | Died | |
| November 10, 1923 | Jean Côté | Grouard | Liberal | Appointed to the Senate of Canada | |
| April 12, 1924 | Vacant | Clearwater | Vacant | District abolished by the United Farmers government. | |
| July 11, 1924 | Leonidas Giroux | Grouard | Liberal | Elected in a by-election | |
| August 27, 1924 | John Boyle | Edmonton | Liberal | Appointed to the bench | |
| October 27, 1924 | William Henry | Edmonton | Liberal | Elected in a by-election | |
| June 6, 1925 | William Johnston | Medicine Hat | Dominion Labor | Died | |
| September 29, 1925 | Charles Pingle | Medicine Hat | Liberal | Elected in a by-election | |
| October 15, 19251 | Charles Cross | Edson | Liberal | Resigned to run in the 1925 federal election | |
| October 15, 19251 | Thomas Milnes | Claresholm | Independent Farmer | Resigned to run in the 1925 federal election | |
| October 15, 19251 | Andrew McLennan | Edmonton | Liberal | Resigned to run in the 1925 federal election | |
| October 15, 19251 | Stanley Tobin | Leduc | Liberal | Resigned to run in the 1925 federal election | |
| October 15, 19251 | John Stewart | Lethbridge | Conservative | Resigned to run in the 1925 federal election | |
| October 17, 1925 | William Davidson | Calgary | Independent | Resigned to run in the 1925 federal election | |
| March 18, 1926 | Charles Mitchell | Bow Valley | Liberal | Resigned to accept judicial appointment. | |
| May 1926 | George Mills | Athabasca | Independent Liberal | Left the Liberal caucus to run as an Independent Liberal | |
- Exact date the Speaker received resignation unknown, nomination deadline date for the 1925 federal election used. All were received by Speaker Oran McPherson after September 29 and before October 17.
References
- Perry, Sandra E.; Footz, Valerie L. (2006). Massolin, Philip A. (ed.). A Higher Duty: Speakers of the Legislative Assemblies. Edmonton, AB: Legislative Assembly of Alberta. p. 495. ISBN 0-9689217-3-6. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
- Foster 2004, p. 75.
- Foster 2004, p. 82.
- Foster 1981, pp. 63–64.
- Jones 2004, p. 64.
- Jones 2004, p. 65.
- Jones 2004, p. 63.
- Foster 1981, p. 107.
Works cited
- Foster, Franklin L. (1981). John E. Brownlee: A Biography. Lloydminster, Alberta: Foster Learning Inc. ISBN 978-1-55220-004-9.
- Foster, Franklin L. (2004). "John E. Brownlee". In Bradford J. Rennie (ed.). Alberta Premiers of the Twentieth Century. Regina, Saskatchewan: Canadian Plains Research Center, University of Regina. ISBN 0-88977-151-0.
- Jones, David C. (2004). "Herbert W. Greenfield". In Bradford J. Rennie (ed.). Alberta Premiers of the Twentieth Century. Regina, Saskatchewan: Canadian Plains Research Center, University of Regina. ISBN 0-88977-151-0.
Further reading
- Normandin, A. L., ed. (1926). The Canadian Parliamentary Guide. Ottawa: Mortimer Company Ltd. ISSN 0315-6168. OCLC 893686591. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
- Office of the Chief Electoral Officer; Legislative Assembly Office (2006). A Century of Democracy: Elections of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, 1905-2005. The Centennial Series. Edmonton, AB: Legislative Assembly of Alberta. ISBN 0-9689217-8-7. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
- Perry, Sandra E.; Footz, Valerie L. (2006). Massolin, Philip A. (ed.). A Higher Duty: Speakers of the Legislative Assemblies. Edmonton, AB: Legislative Assembly of Alberta. ISBN 0-9689217-3-6. Retrieved August 9, 2020.